Terrain Guidance
  1. Notes

Terrain Guidance

GFN HEX TERRAIN ELEMENTS

Consolidated Reference

1️⃣ Icefield / Glacial Wastes

Hex Type: Icefield terrain
Travel: 33% slower
Visibility: 3 miles
Losing Direction: 1/day with 2:6 chance; when snow falls, add +2 due to whiteout
Foraging: 1:6 chance; 1 ration
Hunting: 1:6 chance; 2d6 rations
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 2:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 4d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: None

Notes
Icefields are endgame terrain. Exposure checks should escalate. Retreat is often the correct decision.

2️⃣ Deep Taiga / Endless Forest

Hex Type: Taiga forest
Travel: Normal
Visibility: 1 mile (often less in dense growth)
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance; +1 if snowing
Foraging: 4:6 chance; 1d3 rations
Hunting: 3:6 chance; 2d6 rations
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 2:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 2d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: +1 (dense cover favors evasion)

Notes
This is the ecological heart of GFN. Monsters here tend to stalk rather than charge.

3️⃣ Steppe / Migration Routes

Hex Type: Steppe / tundra grassland
Travel: Normal
Visibility: 6 miles
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance; +1 during storms
Foraging: 2:6 chance; 1 ration
Hunting: 4:6 chance; 2d6 × 10 rations (herds)
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 6d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: –1 (open ground favors pursuers)

Notes
Encounters are often visible hours in advance. Large scale movement dominates.

4️⃣ Hills / Broken Uplands

Hex Type: Hills
Travel: 25% slower
Visibility: 2–3 miles
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Foraging: 3:6 chance; 1d3 rations
Hunting: 3:6 chance; 2d6 rations
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 4d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: None

Notes
GFN hills are fractured and eroded, concealing ruins and lairs easily.

5️⃣ Alpine / High Passes

Hex Type: Mountain / alpine
Travel: 50% slower
Visibility: 10+ miles on clear days; 10–50 yards in storms
Losing Direction: 1/day with 2:6 chance; +1 during snowfall
Foraging: 1:6 chance; 1 ration
Hunting: 1:6 chance; 2d6 rations
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 6d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: –1

Notes
Altitude, weather, and falls are often deadlier than monsters.

6️⃣ Rivers, Ice, and Crossings

Hex Type: River / frozen river
Travel: Normal along banks; crossings vary
Visibility: 1–2 miles; fog common
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Foraging: 3:6 chance; 1d3 rations (fish)
Hunting: 2:6 chance; 2d6 rations
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 2:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 3d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: None

Notes
Crossings concentrate danger. Ice adds collapse risk and cold exposure.

7️⃣ Coastal / Ice Sea (Landward)

Hex Type: Frozen coast / shoreline
Travel: Normal; halved during storms or ice build up
Visibility: 3–6 miles; fog frequent
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance; +1 during fog
Foraging: 2:6 chance; 1 ration
Hunting: 3:6 chance; 2d6 rations (seals, birds)
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 4d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: None

Notes
Shorelines shift. Ice shelves and tides create sudden hazards.

8️⃣ Ruins / Dead Cities

Hex Type: Ruined urban
Travel: Normal, but slowed by rubble
Visibility: ½ mile
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Foraging: 1:6 chance; 1 ration
Hunting: 1:6 chance; 2d6 rations (vermin, scavengers)
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 2d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: +1 (cover and structures)

Notes
Encounters are rarer but more deliberate. Silence dominates.

9️⃣ Plains / Southern Vale

GFN Compatible Addition

Hex Type: Plains / agricultural fringe
Travel: Normal
Visibility: 6 miles
Losing Direction: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Foraging: 4:6 chance; 1d3 rations
Hunting: 3:6 chance; 2d6 rations
Wandering Monsters: 1/day with 1:6 chance
Encounter Distance: 6d6 × 10 yards
Evasion Modifier: None

Notes
This mirrors early GFN border regions before the land thins.

RULES ELEMENTS EXPLAINED

Hex Type

The terrain classification of the hex.

What it does

  • Determines which encounter table is used

  • Sets expectations for danger, visibility, and resources

  • Informs player decisions before entry

Examples

  • Icefield terrain means exposure, poor food, and lethal mistakes

  • Taiga forest means cover, stalking predators, and better food

Travel

Modifies how far the party can move in a day.

How it works

  • Start with campaign standard movement, for example 24 miles per day

  • Apply the terrain modifier

  • Slower travel means more days spent in the hex

Why it matters

  • Slower travel increases risk without adding monsters

  • Terrain becomes dangerous even when nothing happens

Visibility

Maximum distance at which creatures, landmarks, or threats can be seen.

How it works

  • Visibility caps encounter distance

  • If encounter distance exceeds visibility, use visibility instead

  • Affects scouting, navigation, and avoidance

Why it matters

  • Open terrain allows planning and evasion

  • Dense or foggy terrain forces surprise

Losing Direction

Navigation check rolled once per day of travel.

How it works

  • Roll 1d6

  • If the result is equal to or less than the listed chance, the party is lost

  • Apply modifiers for snow, fog, storms, or whiteouts

What being lost means

  • Party moves into a random adjacent hex or fails to make progress

  • Referee adjudicates based on terrain and weather

  • Players may not immediately realize they are lost

Why it matters

  • Weather kills parties without combat

  • Discourages blind travel into hostile regions

Foraging

Quick, passive food gathering.

How it works

  • Roll once per day if foraging

  • Success yields listed rations

  • Failure yields nothing

Limits

  • Does not scale with party size

  • Cannot replace hunting in sparse terrain

Why it matters

  • Slows starvation

  • Encourages lingering in dangerous places

Hunting

Deliberate pursuit of game.

How it works

  • Roll once per day if time is spent hunting

  • Success yields listed rations

  • Usually consumes most of the day

Risks

  • May trigger encounters even on success

  • Exposes party to predators

Why it matters

  • Sustains long journeys

  • Trades time and risk for survival

Wandering Monsters

The core pressure mechanic of the hex.

How it works

  • Roll once per day or as specified

  • On success, roll on terrain encounter table

Why it matters

  • The land pushes back

  • Staying longer always increases danger

Encounter Distance

Determines how far away an encounter begins.

How it works

  • Roll listed dice and multiply

  • Cap by visibility

  • Surprise rules still apply

Why it matters

  • Determines evasion, preparation, or flight

  • Long distances reward scouting

  • Short distances punish complacency

Evasion Modifier

Modifies chance to avoid encounters once detected.

How it works

  • Apply modifier to evasion or pursuit checks

  • Positive favors the party

  • Negative favors enemies

Why it matters

  • Dense terrain enables escape

  • Open terrain punishes exposure

  • Rewards terrain aware play

HOW THESE ELEMENTS WORK TOGETHER

These elements stack.

Example

  • Slower travel means more days

  • More days mean more wandering monster checks

  • Poor visibility shortens encounter distance

  • Short distances reduce evasion

  • Failed evasion leads to combat or flight

  • Flight risks exposure or becoming lost

This is why terrain is the primary antagonist in GFN style play.